Texas has a richly steeped energy history that dates to the early 20th century and has continued through to the 21st century seeing Texas become the largest single producer of natural gas, the largest producer and consumer of renewable energy, and home to the largest refinery in the US. In a groundbreaking move, Texans rejoiced in 2002 when the energy market was deregulated allowing them to choose the energy provider they wished to service their household or business energy needs.

Prior to the deregulation, energy was provided by the owners of the power lines. If you lived very far out in the country and needed power lines strung to your home or business, it would be the responsibility of the local energy company to do this. With the deregulation, the owners of the lines did not change, but the providers did.

Texas is the second largest state by land area and population, and combining this with sweltering summers and extremely mild winters results in a large demand of electricity throughout the year for cooling purposes alone. Some of the available companies include those found at www.electricitycompaniestexas.com/ Add in the everyday appliances we use and many residents will easily face monthly energy bills over 150 throughout the year even while living in apartments or small homes. With prices as they are, the ability to choose your provider can potentially save you hundreds of dollars throughout the year.

There was one large loophole in the law, however. Texas Senate Bill 7, or SB7, stated that energy markets that were already owned by a cooperative or a municipality were exempt from deregulation. This allowed areas and cities to carry on with their city-owned electrical providers without allowing their customers the option to switch providers, such as Austin has with Austin Energy. This has both a positive and negative impact on customers including the inability to choose renewable energy if they so wish, but with generally lower rates than the rest of the state sees. Most consumers in these areas are, however, happy with their current provider and lower prices they generally pay.

In the years after the deregulation was phased in, a vast majority of Texans switched energy companies. They sought better deals, providers that offered renewable energy, and the ability to switch providers if they did not support where the profits of their energy company were being used. While in the few years immediately after the announcement that the market would be deregulated Texans did see prices increase, this was a result of the cost of production increasing and not as a result of the new market practice. Prices in this part of the country are still slightly under the average cost per kilowatt hour of 12 cents.

When it comes to recycling, many people underestimate how many ways they can use simple items in their homes. Many people have a large amount of jeans that have become worn out or outgrown just taking up space in their closet. If you have a collection of jeans that have no use that you can think of, then here are several different ways you can recycle your jeans so that you can contribute to a better environment.

By opting to shop online, you may actually be able to save more money than you are able to in local retail stores. Shopping over the internet allows you to take advantage of special prices, internet-only sales and coupon codes that you may not have while at your local mall. In addition, online shopping gives you access to many different styles of clothing that may not be in-stock at the store. If you are looking for ways to save money on your online shopping trips, Read the rest of this entry »

Have you been feeling the pinch of the rising cost of grocery? If so, then you need to start to effectively use grocery store coupons to save money. Here are a few tips to point you in the right direction.

Where To Find Coupons
Grocery store coupons really are not hard to find if you look in the correct sources. These sources include newspapers, magazines, online, junk mail, and even in the actual store. Often times, the specific food Read the rest of this entry »

A full kitchen renovation can easily cost thousands of dollars for cabinets, floors, lighting, counter tops and so on. If your kitchen is already attractive and functional, but just needs a little sprucing up, then consider adding a custom backsplash. That alone will transform the entire look of your kitchen with pizazz. For frugal folks, this is a job where you can put to work your creativity and save big money.

If you’re looking for places to find apparel, electronics, home goods and interior items for cheap, there’s no better place to shop than at resale stores. Resale stores, also known as consignment shops and thrift stores specialize in reselling used items that are in good condition at a highly discounted rate. To start saving money on your purchases, simply look for thrift stores and secondhand stores in your area such as Salvation Army, Goodwill and more.